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| + | {{for|the [[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow|Lords of Shadow]] timeline|Lords of Shadow Timeline}} |
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| − | [[Konami]]'s ''[[Castlevania series]]'' made its debut in [[1986]] with the Europe-only game ''[[Vampire Killer]]'', which would soon become known as ''[[Castlevania (video game)|Castlevania]]'' in North America. The plot behind the series was at first rather simple: a descendent of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters would take a legendary whip (known as the ''[[Vampire Killer Whip|Vampire Killer]]'') and seek out the "Prince of Darkness" ([[Dracula]]), whose influence threatens all of Europe. Later versions of the game had deeper, more involved storylines. |
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| + | The '''''Castlevania'' Timeline''' shows the official chronology of the ''[[Castlevania (series)|Castlevania]]'' series. It was first revealed in [[Konami Magazine]] in 1997. The timeline was intended to be a reference for the developers of ''[[Castlevania: Symphony of the Night| Symphony of the Night]]'', but was accidentally leaked.<ref>IGA: 確かに、現在の公式のタイムラインの基を作成したのは我々ですが、当初これを発表をするつもりは全くありませんでした。 |
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| − | In 2002, just before the release of ''[[Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance]]'', Konami posted a chronology of the ''Castlevania'' series on the official Japanese ''Harmony'' website. [http://konami.jp/gs/game/CV01/chronology.html] The list conspicuously omitted several games in the series, including: ''[[Castlevania Legends]]'', ''[[Castlevania: Circle of the Moon]]'', ''[[Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness]]'', and ''[[Castlevania 64]]''. The release of ''[[Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin]]'' confirmed ''[[Castlevania: Legends]]'s'' removal from the timeline by showing that Dracula did not begin his war with humanity until shortly before his fight with [[Trevor Belmont]]. The release of ''[[Portrait of Ruin]]'', however, re-instated Circle of the Moon, Legacy of Darkness, and Castlevania 64 and the theme of why the Belmonts "proper" were absent during these games is focussed on. The official timeline released with this game now includes these games, but it still does not include Legends. One reason why these games were reinstated may be because many of the team members who worked on those games also worked on Portrait of Ruin (they hadn't worked on Lament of Innocence). |
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| + | というのも、ドラキュラシリーズを長く続けるための足かせにしかならないと考えていたからです。それが、別のプロジェクトから、意図せず露見する形となり、公式と進化したものです。Translation: While it is true that it was we who created the basis for the official timeline, at the start of things we had absolutely no intention of publicizing it. Indeed, this was because we felt it would only shackle us to dragging on the Castlevania series. It was unintentionally leaked from another project and evolved into an official timeline.</ref> |
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| + | At that time, the upcoming ''[[Castlevania Legends]]'' was intended to be the origin story of the series, however, the game was removed from the timeline during development and this was made clear in the next issue of the magazine. The spin-off game ''[[Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun]]'' (localized as ''Kid Dracula'') was also included. Likewise, the game was removed from later editions of the timeline. The ''[[Konami Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle Official Guide]]'' later went on to state there was no story connection with the rest of the series. |
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| − | In the fan community, there has been much debate over the changes, why they occurred, and how they have affected the series. Fans speculate that the changes were made in order to "clean up" the timeline by removing new games whose stories/placement in the timeline conflicted with the older games. |
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| + | Not all ''Castlevania'' games are intended to be part of the original timeline. Several games and other media deliberately take place outside of it. They can be classified as a story set in a completely different universe. ''Castlevania Legends'' and ''[[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow|Lords of Shadow]]'' are part of this category. The stories of these games have nothing to do with that of the main timeline and take place in completely different worlds. They often feature alternate incarnations of certain characters, but with different back stories. |
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| − | Konami of America recognized the four games current series producer [[Koji Igarashi]] removed until November 2005, when they released the Castlevania Xtreme Desktop Timeline (based on the revised Japanese timeline). Konami of America may still have acknowledged ''Circle of the Moon''; their newer timeline mentioned [[Morris Baldwin]] in passing and the game was still available for purchase at the company's online store. Since the release of ''Portrait of Ruin'', only ''Legends'' is non-canon. |
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| + | The timeline was defined and established by [[Koji Igarashi]] during his game development of the series up until he left [[Konami]]. Konami reserves the right to use, replace, or change this timeline at any time in the future games. |
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| − | {{spoiler}} |
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| − | ==11th century== |
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| − | *'''1094''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Lament of Innocence]]'') The 11th century was a time of knighthood, when the medieval monarchs were waning due to feuding lords and knights. The Catholic Church was undergoing many reforms upon which it was investing upon the land, and of course, as a result, the Crusades became a political scapegoat for their actions. |
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| − | Two of the courageous knights fighting during this period were [[Leon Belmont]] and [[Mathias Cronqvist]], who together with Leon's exceptional combat experience and Mathais' skills as a tactician led one of the strongest companies in the realm. Their fighting led them to never suffer a single defeat, even when they were called off to fight in the Crusades by the Church. Yet, Mathias suffered one major loss upon their return from the Crusades when he was informed about the sudden death of his wife, [[Elizabetha Cronqvist|Elizabetha]]. She had become very ill and had died. He himself became overcome with grief, and was ill to the point of being bedridden a year later. |
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| − | Leon led the company into battle and they continued to do well. Yet, a band of monsters attacked their realm, pouring from an area known as the ''[[Forest of Eternal Night]].'' The Church, not sanctioning combat without political cause, would not permit Leon to order the troops to fight back, so he had to personally deal with the matter. Mathias informed him that the lord of the forest, [[Walter Bernhard]], a very powerful vampire, had kidnapped his betrothed, [[Sara Trantoul]]. |
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| − | Leon rushes to the woods, committing treason by doing so, and meets up with [[Rinaldo Gandolfi]], a man who informs him that Walter does this as a game, since he gets bored as an immortal and wants entertainment. He gives Leon a powerful weapon called the ''[[Whip of Alchemy]]'' (Rinaldo is an [[alchemy|alchemist]]), and Leon enters the castle, having been informed that he must defeat five guardians before reaching Walter (which he does). |
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| − | Leon defeats a [[Golem]], [[Medusa]], [[Succubus]], and even an [[Undead Parasite]] on the path to Walter, who laughs at him but returns his beloved after he defeats the vampire [[Joachim Armster]] and Leon learns that Walter possesses the ''[[Ebony Stone]],'' one of two supernatural stones that can grant extraordinary powers. Rinaldo informs Leon, however, that Sara has been vampirized and that there is really no hope for her, but perhaps if she sacrifices herself to the whip, it will become strong enough to destroy Walter. In the end, not wanting to live as an undead, she does so, and the whip is henceforth known as the [[Vampire Killer]], harnessing the power of her sacrifice and her vampiric aura. Leon uses it to destroy Walter, only to discover that [[Death]] would enter the room and stop Walter from bragging, sucking his life-force from him and taking the stone away. He said he served the one who possessed the ''[[Crimson Stone]],'' who walks into the room and identifies himself as none other than Mathias. He says that he became immortal through the stone's power in order to defy God, who he cursed every day since his wife's death. He thought that he could use Leon to gain the other stone and increase his power and that perhaps Leon would join him in immortality now that he had lost everything as well. Leon, not agreeing with his friend's logic, tells him that though he is sorry for his loss, he cannot curse God and that he knows God has nothing to do with it. Mathias knows that the two cannot get along, and he says: "Death, he's all yours!" Death stands in the way and teleports Leon and himself to a chaotic world where the two fight, but Leon gets the upper-hand and wins. |
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| − | Mathias assumes bat form and leaves through the window. He then travels to an obscure country, continuing to curse God, and eventually becomes the ''Lord of Vampires, Prince of Darkness.'' It has been confirmed that he is [[Dracula]]. He would not be seen for almost four hundred years. As for Leon, he barely escapes the castle when it collapses, yet the forest returns to day once again and then he picks up the pieces of his life, vowing that his family will hunt the night. |
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| − | == |
+ | ==Main timeline== |
| + | ===Leon Belmont's era=== |
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| − | It is unknown exactly what happens in the official timeline during the years between 1100-1400 AD. Though Dracula is currently hiding in foreign lands. He did not show himself until after [[Lisa]] was killed, the dating of which is uncertain (see below). |
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| + | [[File:LeonB.jpg|150px|left]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Lament of Innocence]]'' — 1094 A.D''' |
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| + | The 11th century was a time of knighthood, when the medieval monarchs were waning due to feuding lords and knights. Two of the courageous knights fighting during this period were [[Leon Belmont]] and [[Mathias Cronqvist]], who together with Leon's exceptional combat experience and Mathias' skills as a tactician led one of the strongest companies in the realm. [[Walter Bernhard]] was a powerful vampire who lived in a castle within a forest covered in eternal darkness. One day, Leon's fiancée, [[Sara Trantoul|Sara]], is kidnapped by this very vampire. Leon renounces his loyalty to the Church in order to save her. In the end, in order to avenge his fiancée's death, he manages to defeat Walter with the [[Vampire Killer (whip)|Vampire Killer Whip]], created from Sara's soul. However, everything was just a plot by Leon's close friend Mathias, who had turned into a vampire in order to defy God, who allowed his wife to die of an illness.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1094: Castlevania Lament of Innocence.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===12th-14th centuries=== |
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| + | With Leon now walking the path of a [[Vampire Hunter]] in pursuit of Mathias, the [[Belmont]]s' eternal struggle against evil begins. From generation to generation, the Vampire Killer and the title of Vampire Hunter is passed down. Feared for their powers, they are shunned by society at large and lived in exile. What they also did not realize was that each foe slain only added to the power of Mathias. Meanwhile, Mathias leads a peaceful existence during this time<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071102121228/http://www.playmagazine.com/index.php?fuseaction=SiteMain.showJapanPage&Japan_ID=57 TGS2005 Koji Igarashi interview.]</ref> but, growing more powerful over the years, he eventually declares himself King of the Night and changes his name to [[Dracula Vlad Ţepeş]]. He continued to hide in foreign lands, biding his time for when he would unleash his dreadful power upon the world.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. More than 300 long years... .''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Trevor Belmont's era=== |
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| + | [[File:Trevor_Belmont_-_02.jpg|150px|left]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse]]'' — 1476 A.D''' |
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| + | The genocide of humanity begins at the hand of Count Dracula. Alerted to Dracula's existence, a secret team is sent in by the Eastern Orthodox Church to find and eliminate him. All attempts to suppress Dracula end in failure, so faced with no other options, the Church turns to the Belmont family of vampire hunters in hopes they could destroy Dracula. [[Trevor Belmont]] begins his journey into the castle and frees the freedom fighter [[Grant Danasty]], the mage [[Sypha Belnades]], and encounters the son of Dracula, [[Alucard]]. Joining forces, they succeed in vanquishing Dracula. Sypha then takes Trevor's hand in marriage, while Alucard, pained from killing his own father, submerges into an eternal slumber.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1476: Castlevania Dracula's Curse.''</ref> Grant spends the rest of his life rebuilding Wallachia.<ref>''Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse'' Grant ending.</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | [[File:CoD_Hector.png|150px|left]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Curse of Darkness]]'' — 1479 A.D''' |
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| + | Though defeated at the hands of Trevor Belmont, Dracula's curse still ravages the countryside of Europe, bringing with it disease, mob violence and heresy. Amidst this chaos is [[Hector]], a [[Devil Forgemaster]] who had formerly worked in the service of Dracula. Yet Hector grew weary and disgusted with the Count's brutal methods and left to live with humans. When his human wife was killed and his fellow forgemaster, [[Isaac]], is implicated in the deed, Hector sets off for Dracula's stronghold to settle the score with him. At the end, it is revealed that Isaac made Hector regain his devil forging powers so that [[Dracula's Castle]] would return to the human world. Unbeknownst to Isaac, he himself was being used by [[Death]], Dracula's right-hand-man, as a vessel for his master's reincarnation. Death believed that Hector would kill Isaac and that Dracula's Curse would take control of him, with his body becoming a vessel for Dracula's safe return to Earth. However, Hector realized that his drive for vengeance was caused by Dracula's Curse and resolved that he would no longer be manipulated. Hector did not kill Isaac, which prompted Death to use Isaac's body as an alternative. Hector killed his former master and performed the "Final Forging" where he summoned the essence of the curse and destroyed it. But the mysterious [[Saint Germain]], whom Hector had met earlier, believed that the war will never end and even when all evil is destroyed, there will still be those who will claim evil's mantle again. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Christopher Belmont's era=== |
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| + | [[File:BR_Christopher_Jap_Cover.JPG|left|150px|]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: The Adventure]]'' — 1576 A.D''' |
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| + | Count Dracula, slain 100 years before, is reborn. It's rumored the Bartley family was responsible for this act. It's from this point on that the legend begins: "''Once every 100 years, when the faith in God is forgotten, Dracula will come back to life''". [[Christopher Belmont|Christopher]], descendant of Trevor, apparently succeeds in vanquishing Dracula.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1576: Castlevania The Adventure.''</ref> |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge]]'' — 1591 A.D''' |
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| + | Though Christopher Belmont had defeated the evil count [[Dracula]] fifteen years ago, he did not manage to destroy him, as the count turned himself into mist and managed to escape, building up his energy and biding his time over the years. As Christopher's son came of age, a ceremony was being held to confer the title of ''Vampire Hunter'' upon him, so that a father-son team would be formed, but after the ceremony had been completed, Dracula used his powers to take control of [[Soleil Belmont]]'s mind and then made four castles appear. Christopher vowed to destroy Dracula and return his son to normal, and in the end, he defeated the evil Count, restored his son and the land was returned to its normal balance once again. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Simon Belmont's era=== |
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| + | [[File:Simon_Belmont_-_01.jpg|left|150px]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania (video game)|Castlevania]]'''<ref>IGA: FC版とX６８０００版ですが、X６８０００版はFC版をベースにアレンジを加えたものになっています。ゲームのアレンジは、その時に応じて、色々と施されるものですので、正直どちらも正統であると思ってよいのではないかと思っています。結論として、ドラキュラと戦い勝つというシナリオで、中間部分の切り抜きが違うと考えてもよいのではないかと考えています。スーパーファミコン版も違いますし…。どうしてもと考えるのであれば、FC版を尊重すべきかと考えます。 |
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| + | Translation: Regarding the Famicom version and the X68000 version, the X68000 version is an arrangement based on the Famicom version. The arrangement of a game is the kind of thing where you add a lot of different things as needed, so honestly speaking, it think they both should be considered legitimate. In conclusion, I think they should be considered as the same scenario of fighting to defeat Dracula, just with a different middle part. The Super Famicom version is different as well... If you simply must have a clear answer, the Famicom version must be given deference.</ref> '''— 1691 A.D''''' |
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| + | Count Dracula is fully revived by the forces of evil for the second time. [[Simon Belmont]] defeats Dracula once more, but in the wake of Dracula's death, is struck with a curse.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1691: Castlevania.''</ref> |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest]]'' — 1698 A.D''' |
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| + | The curse inflicted upon Simon seven years earlier continues to affect his body, which slowly starts to decay. A mysterious woman appears to Simon while visiting his family's graveyard and is told that Dracula will be revived when the curse kills him. The only way to lift the curse is for Simon to gather the scattered body parts of Dracula and burn them where his castle once stood. Simon successfully gathers and burns all of the five pieces. However, Dracula manifests as a ghost from a sixth piece (his fang<ref>Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin Kanzen Hisshōbon</ref>). Simon fights valiantly and prevents Dracula's resurrection from taking place.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1698: Castlevania II Simon's Quest.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Juste Belmont's era=== |
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| + | [[File:Juste.jpg|150px|left]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance]]'' — 1748 A.D''' |
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| + | Fifty years after Simon's battle, [[Juste Belmont]], grandson of Simon, continues the family's vampire hunting tradition and upholds the duty of searching for [[Dracula's Relics|Dracula's relics]]. However, his childhood friend, [[Lydie Erlanger|Lydie]], is kidnapped and brought to a mysterious castle, which had suddenly risen up out of the mist. Juste's best friend, [[Maxim Kischine|Maxim]], joins him in the search for Lydie inside the castle. However, it turns out that Maxim was possessed by an evil spirit born out of Dracula's remains, which were brought together by him. The castle that had appeared was spawned from Maxim's mind. The evil spirit wished to sacrifice Lydie in order to revive the true castle of Dracula. Combining the strength of the three friends, the evil spirit is defeated, his hold on Maxim disappears and the castle vanishes back into the mist.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1748: Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Richter Belmont's era=== |
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| + | [[File:Richter_Belmont.png|left|150px]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Rondo of Blood]]'' — 1792 A.D''' |
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| + | Called back to life by the Dark Priest [[Shaft]], Dracula is awakened again. [[Richter Belmont]], descendant of Simon and Juste, sets out to find and kill Dracula and save the women kidnapped from his town, including his fiancée [[Annette]]. Aided by [[Maria Renard]], a girl with mysterious powers, Richter prevails over Dracula. However, Richter was left defenseless from his battle with Dracula and Shaft's curse enters his body.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1792: Castlevania Dracula X.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | [[File:SOTN_Alucard_Main_Portrait.jpg|left|150px]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Symphony of the Night]]'' — 1797 A.D''' |
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| + | Shaft would continue to exist as a spirit contained within a crystal ball. However, in the five years since the previous battle, Shaft manages to regain power through the curse placed on Richter. After four years, Shaft succeeds in gaining full control over Richter. He plans to revive Dracula with the aid of Richter's powers. Maria sets out to find the missing Richter only to stumble on Dracula's castle which had risen out of the mist. Sensing the rise of evil, Alucard awakes from a 300 year slumber. Thanks to Alucard, Richter is freed from Shaft's influence. Unable to influence Richter further but with enough power to act on his own, Shaft summons Dracula's true castle as an inverted floating version in the sky above the current castle. Shaft lets Alucard collect the pieces of Dracula's body and then uses his own spirit as fuel to summon Dracula himself with them. Alucard battles his father and eventually defeats him as he is using an imperfect form. Maria, Richter and Alucard meet outside as the castle crumbles. Alucard leaves to return to his sleep and Maria decides to leave with him, as she has fallen in love with him. Sometime later, Richter vanishes from history.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1797: Castlevania Symphony of the Night.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Radio Drama: [[Akumajō Dracula X: Tsuioku no Yasōkyoku]]'' — 1798 A.D''''' |
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| + | The Incubus [[Magnus]] plots to make Alucard take his father's place as the [[Dark Lord]]. With the combined strength of five vampire hunters, this plan is foiled. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Era of the Belmont clan's absence=== |
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| + | In the 1800s, the Belmonts mysteriously disappear. In their place, several organizations are formed to try and find ways to prevent Dracula from returning. The most prominent of these is the [[Ecclesia|Order of Ecclesia]]. |
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| + | [[File:OoE_Shanoa.jpg|150px|left]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia]]'' — 18?? A.D''' |
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| + | [[Shanoa]], an Ecclesia member, has been chosen to be the bearer of [[Dominus]], a [[Glyph]] that was developed to be used as a weapon against Dracula. Fellow member [[Albus]] steals the three pieces that make up Dominus out of jealousy. Shanoa pursues Albus and manages to retrieve the pieces. When she returns to Ecclesia's leader, [[Barlowe]], it's revealed he wishes to revive Dracula with the help of Dominus. He and Shanoa battle, but Dracula's spirit leaks from Dracula's remains, which were stored in Ecclesia's headquarters, and takes control of Barlowe, resulting in Dracula being reborn in a host body. Shanoa heads to Dracula's newly risen castle and confronts him, managing to defeat him in the end. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Quincy Morris' era=== |
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| + | Sometime after Alucard's awakening and Dracula's subsequent defeat, Richter, ashamed of being manipulated by Shaft, passes on the Vampire Killer whip kept for so long by the Belmont Clan to the [[Morris Clan]].<ref>[http://shmuplations.com/symphony/ ''The World of Castlevania, [[Konami#Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe|KCE Kobe]] homepage. Developer Interview.'']</ref><ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1897.''</ref> |
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| + | *'''Game: none — 1897 A.D''' |
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| + | [[Quincy Morris]], a distant descendant of Trevor Belmont, keeps Dracula at bay.<ref>Castlevania (Lament of Innocence) Guide. History of Castlevania. Family Tree. Konami & NTT PUB. 2003</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===John Morris' era=== |
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| + | [[File:John.gif|left|150px|]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Bloodlines]]'' — 1917 A.D''' |
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| + | The legendary vampire [[Elizabeth Bartley]], Dracula's niece, suddenly appears in the 20th century. Plotting a sacrificial war in order to bring back her uncle back to life, she orchestrates the beginning of World War I. Quincy Morris' son, [[John Morris|John]], and his best friend [[Eric Lecarde]], vow to take up the fight against evil. Together they manage to prevent Dracula's full resurrection.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1917: Castlevania Bloodlines.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Jonathan Morris' era=== |
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| + | [[File:Jmart.jpg|left|150px|]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin]]'' — 1944 A.D''' |
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| + | The world is in chaos due to the second world war. The souls of the dead roam the earth. Their anguish summons Dracula's legendary castle. [[Jonathan Morris]], son of John, and his ally [[Charlotte Aulin]], step forward to fight evil. They discover a vampire named [[Brauner]], who has claimed the castle as his own. They fight him in order to destroy the castle, but by defeating Brauner, Dracula is freed from the seal that kept him locked away. The Count is defeated once more. |
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| + | <ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1944: Castlevania Portrait of Ruin.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Julius Belmont's era=== |
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| + | [[File:Julius Belmont.png|150px|left]] |
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| + | *'''Game: none — 1999 A.D''' |
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| + | On August 11th, a total solar eclipse appears over Eastern Europe. According to a prediction of [[Nostradamus]], Dracula would be revived on this day. The Belmont Clan (which had re-emerged in this era), the Belnades Clan and Alucard all confirm it's indeed the coming revival of the Dark Lord. Awaiting his return, they find the magic in Japan which can even control gods with the power of a solar eclipse. It's [[Julius]], the current heir of the Belmont Clan, who takes up the Vampire Killer to face Dracula. With the secret art of the Hakuba Clan, Dracula's castle is trapped and confined within the darkness of the eclipse. With his source of power and means of resurrection sealed away, Dracula is slain permanently, forcing the dark lord to find a host body to contain himself in.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1999.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ===Era of Dracula's rebirth=== |
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| + | [[File:SomaAria.jpg|150px|left]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow]]'' — 2035 A.D''' |
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| + | It's prophesied that the supposedly perished Dracula would return again. In Japan, in the year 2035 on the night of a solar eclipse, high school students [[Soma Cruz]] and [[Mina Hakuba]] are transported to Dracula's castle when entering the Hakuba Shrine. When Soma awakes, he finds himself within the confines of the castle. In order to escape the castle, he teams up with Genya Arikado, Yoko Belnades and the amnesic "J" to defeat Graham Jones, who believes he is the new Dracula. When he finally arrives at the throne room, he learns he himself is Dracula reborn after he defeats Graham. To free himself from the chaotic power of Dracula, he has to travel to the chaos realm on the other "side" of Dracula's castle. After managing to liberate himself from Dracula's power and destroying the source of chaos, he escapes the castle together with his friends.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 2036: Castlevania Aria of Sorrow.''</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow]]'' — 2036 A.D''' |
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| + | It has been one year since the uproar about Dracula in the eclipse. Soma Cruz is at peace. But a cult leader, [[Celia Fortner]], attacked Soma in broad daylight and tells him to follow her back to Dracula's castle. In order to avoid involving Mina, Soma enters the castle alone. Yoko Belnades, Julius Belmont and Genya Arikado also arrive with the intention of stopping the cult. With Soma's arrival in the castle, Celia begins her plan for the advent of the new Dark Lord. She tries to instigate the revival of Dracula by having Soma embrace his darkness or, if that would fail, having another heir of Dracula's power kill him. Celia fails to get Soma to turn, but is killed later by another candidate, [[Dmitrii Blinov]], who copied Soma's power of Dominance. Yoko, Julius and Arikado help Soma track him down but they are too late. Trying to acquire souls like Soma, he loses control and transforms into a giant monster called [[Menace]], who is comprised of all the souls he collected. After its defeat, Soma returns home.<ref>''Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 2037: Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow.''</ref> |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Novel: ''[[Akumajō Dracula: Kabuchi no Tsuisoukyoku]]'' — 2037 A.D''' |
||
| + | Julius Belmont's pupil [[Curtis Lang]], together with his ally [[Michelle Danasty]], battles against the rogue vampire [[Olrox]], who wishes to conquer the forces of both humanity and chaos. |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
||
| + | ==Alternate continuity== |
||
| + | The following is confirmed to take place in a string of alternate timelines that are closely related to the primary continuity, either being similar to the main sequence of events or somehow spinning off from the series' formal timeline. As ''gaiden'' titles, they are not necessarily connected to each other, but they are considered part of the same overall universe as the main timeline. |
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| + | *'''Gamebook: ''[[The Legend of Satanic Castle: The Vampire Hunters]]''''' |
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| − | ==15th century== |
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| + | [[Sid Belmont]], descendant of Trevor, along with his allies [[Row Danasty]], [[Zouk Belnades]] and [[Leila]] travel to Dracula's castle in order to prevent his resurrection. |
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| − | *'''Early to mid 15th century''': [[Lisa]], Dracula's second wife, was condemned to death by Inquisition. Dracula's grief and hatred was profound. He blamed this on all of humanity, and hated humans. In 1476, his war with the humans and the Belmonts began. (''Konami places Lisa's death in 1470. However, the manual for ''Symphony of the Night'' states Alucard's age to be around 400 years, placing his birth around 1397. Assuming that Lisa had a normal mortal lifespan, she would have been in at least her late teens when Alucard was born, placing her own birth round about 1380; since her natural life would probably end around 1450, it seems likely that her execution took place some time between 1400 and 1450. This is consistent with the dating of ''Legends'', even though ''Legends'' is no longer part of the timeline. However, the ''SOTN'' manual also stated Dracula's age to be approximately 800, placing his birth around 997, while Mathias Cronqvist (being 32 in 1094) was born in 1062. Assuming an error of at most 65 years either way in both cases, Alucard's birth could have taken place any time between 1332 and 1462. Considering that Alucard was old enough to remember his mother's last words, he would probably have been no younger than 5 at the time of Lisa's execution (although vampires may learn at an accelerated rate), placing Lisa's death any time between 1337 and 1467.'') |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth]]'' — 1576 A.D'''<ref>IGA: ドラキュラ伝説Rebirthは、リメイクというより完全に別作品となっておりますので、Rebirthを外伝としてとらえてよいかと存じます。Translation: Because Castlevania: the Adventure Rebirth is more a completely new game than a remake, I think it is best to treat is as a separate continuity.</ref> |
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| + | 100 years have passed since the death of Count Dracula, but the revival of his curse has emerged once again within the realms of Transylvania. Christopher Belmont heads out to save the land. |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Comic: ''[[Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy]]'' — 1576 A.D''' |
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| + | Christopher Belmont's fiancée, [[Illyana Belmont|Illyana]] has been kidnapped by Dracula after his revival by the [[Bartley Family]]. Taking the whip kept safe by a family of vampire hunters called the [[Totoyan|Totoyan's]], Christopher sets out to rescue Illyana. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Haunted Castle]]'' / ''[[Super Castlevania IV]]'' — 1691 A.D''' |
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| + | It is the classic tale of Simon Belmont versus the reawakened Count Dracula, but these alternate versions of his adventure have very different features compared to the one in the main timeline. For example, one version has Dracula kidnap his bride [[Selena]], and the other has a much longer trek toward Dracula's castle. These splintered timelines have the same overall result, however. |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Order of Shadows]]'' — 16?? A.D'''<ref name = hello /> |
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| + | The Belmonts find the hideout of [[The Order]] and attempt to stop them before they can revive the Count. [[Desmond Belmont]] defeats the leader of this group, [[Rohan Krause]], which only serves as a catalyst for Dracula's return. He then defeats Dracula, but a mysterious force or powerful being keeps Dracula's Castle from crumbling. |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Dracula X]]'' — 1792 A.D'''<ref name = ah>IGA: 悪魔城ドラキュラX -血の輪廻- と悪魔城ドラキュラXXですが、XXは血の輪廻の移植として制作されたわけですが、血の輪廻のスタッフの意思をまったく反映しておりません。 私としては、先に作った人の意思を優先しますので、XXが外伝扱いと考えております。 Translation: Regarding Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and Castlevania: Dracula X, though Dracula X was created as a port of Rondo of Blood, it does not reflect the intentions of the Rondo of Blood staff at all. For myself, I give priority to the intent of the original creators and treat Dracula X as a separate continuity.</ref> |
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| + | Dracula is revived by his followers and it is Richter's destiny to stop him. At the same time, he is forced to save his fiancée Anette and Maria. Maria's powers do not awaken in this timeline and Richter overcomes Dracula on his own. |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Circle of the Moon]]'' — 1830 A.D'''<ref name = hello>IGA: 黙示録、黙示録外伝、Circle of the Moon、Order of Shadows、THE ARCADEは、世界観を同じくした別の世界の物語となります。黙示録、黙示録外伝、Circle of the Moonは、製作者の意図として、そのように扱っております。 Translation: Regarding Castlevania 64, Legacy of Darkness, Circle of the Moon, Order of Shadows and the Arcade, they are stories from a separate world with the same world view. Castlevania 64, Legacy of Darkness and Circle of the Moon are treated in the same way as the makers intended.</ref> |
||
| + | In an old Austrian castle, the worshipers of Dracula attempt to resurrect their master. Vampire Hunter [[Morris Baldwin]] and his apprentices, [[Nathan Graves]] and [[Hugh Baldwin]], rush to the castle in an attempt to stop the resurrection, only to arrive a moment too late. [[Camilla]], one of Dracula's minions, has just revived the Count and kidnaps Morris; the two apprentices then plummet down into the depths of the castle. In the end, Nathan defeats Camilla, rescues Hugh and Morris, and defeats the dark lord, Dracula. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness]]'' — 1844 A.D'''<ref name = hello /> |
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| + | Following Dracula's revival, a village is attacked by evil forces, and [[Ada]], the sister of the man-beast [[Cornell]], is taken. Cornell returns to find the town under attack. After finding out about his sister's capture, he rushes to Dracula's castle to find Ada. Ada was to be sacrificed, but Cornell saved her by defeating Dracula, sacrificing his wolf powers in the process. Also includes another interpretation of the events of ''Castlevania 64''. |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania (Nintendo 64)|Castlevania]]'' ([[Nintendo 64|N64]]) — 1852 A.D'''<ref name = hello /> |
||
| + | Dracula is reborn in the body of the child [[Malus]]. However, the memories of who he really was were lost. Dracula's forces, unaware which child was their master reborn, kidnapped all of the children from the surrounding villages and brought them to Dracula's revived castle. Sensing Dracula's return, Belmont descendant [[Reinhardt Schneider]] and [[Carrie Fernandez]] decided to hunt Dracula. They rescued Malus and believed they defeated Dracula. However, it turned out this Dracula was an impostor and the memories of Malus were restored. He then reveals himself to be the true Dracula. However, he was subdued through the combined efforts of Reinhardt and Carrie. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Gamebook: ''[[The Devil Castle Dracula: The Battle of Old Castle]]'' — 195? A.D''' |
||
| + | [[Simon Belmont (The Battle of Old Castle)|Simon Belmont]], descendant of the legendary Simon who defeated Dracula in the past, accidentally breaks the seal that kept Count Dracula locked away, while shooting a movie about his ancestor's exploits in Dracula's castle. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Akumajō Dracula: The Arcade]]'' — The game story have not set a time'''<ref name = hello /> |
||
| + | A [[Vampire Hunter (The Arcade)|Vampire Hunter]], a [[Lady Gunner]] and a [[Little Witch]] join forces to fight the forces of evil. They manage to overcome Dracula in a climatic battle. |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
||
| + | ==Kid Dracula timeline== |
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| + | [[File:Kdrac.gif|left|120px|]] |
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| + | The ''Kid Dracula'' games take place in the "Demon World". |
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| − | '''Note: the following (in italics) was retconned from the official timeline. It is "Another Story".''' [http://uk.geocities.com/nec43xkq3/cvsl.html 1] |
||
| + | *'''Game: ''[[Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun|Boku Dracula-kun]]'' — 11797 A.D '''<ref>[[Konami Magazine]] volume 3, Page 71</ref> |
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| − | *'''''1450''': Seventeen year old Sonia Belmont, takes up the Vampire Killer whip and swears to avenge her grandfather after he is killed by Dracula's minions. During her search, she meets and forms a strong bond with her enemy's son, [[Alucard]]. After vanquishing the Count, Sonia vows that if Dracula returns after her lifetime, others will take her place and defeat him. (The game's creators intended Sonia to be the first Belmont to battle and defeat Dracula.) '' |
||
| + | :[[Kid Dracula (character)|Kid Dracula]] awakens after a ten thousand year nap to be challenged by [[Galamoth|Garamoth]]. He sets forth to put an end to Garamoth's ambitions and keep the takeover of the world for himself. |
||
| + | *'''Game: ''[[Kid Dracula (Game Boy)|Kid Dracula]]''''' ([[Game Boy]]) |
||
| + | :Garamoth returns after being defeated. Kid Dracula has forgotten most of his skills since then, but [[Death]] allows him to borrow some of his father's items to defeat Galamoth once again. |
||
| + | ==Akuma no Chi Chi no Akumu timeline== |
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| − | *'''1476''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse]]'') Dracula's war with humanity began. The people cry out for a champion. However, the [[Belmont Clan|Belmont clan]] had been feared for their supernatural powers and exiled from [[Transylvania]], but with the new threat of the evil count, and the impending danger on his hometown of [[Wallachia]], [[Trevor Belmont]] is not too far away to answer the call to duty. Picking up the [[Vampire Killer Whip|Vampire Killer]] whip bestowed to him by the Poltergeist King (according to the game manual), Trevor goes to battle against the forces of darkness, meeting up with three companions along the way- [[Grant DaNasty]], [[Sypha Belnades]], and [[Alucard]], the [[dhampir]] son of Dracula. Because Trevor was the first person to ever destroy Dracula, the Belmonts were welcome again in Wallachia. Sypha and Trevor fall in love, and have children. The magic power of the Belnades is inherited by future Belmonts ([[Juste Belmont]], for example). |
||
| + | The novel ''Akumajo Dracula: Akuma no Chi Chi no Akumu'' (translated as ''"Demon Castle Dracula: Blood of the Demon - Nightmare of Blood"'') takes place in its own universe. In this world, the Belmonts are not related by blood. Each generation, a "guardian" is born that is destined to take the name of Belmont. Dracula's real name is [[Claude Runkle]] in this world.<ref>Author: "I wanted to write a vampire novel. However, the magazine editor demanded novelizing the video game. I borrowed 'Dracula' and 'Simon' from Akumajou Dracula. |
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| + | Still, the story is almost all my original creation. Sorry. This novel is not a novelization of the video game."</ref> |
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| + | *'''Novel: ''[[Akumajo Dracula: Akuma no Chi Chi no Akumu]]''''' |
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| + | Dracula is revived by Pierre Baiyan. Simon, Dracula's best friend when he was still human, returns as a Kresnik in order to vanquish him for a second time. Meanwhile, the missionary [[Dean Silva]], tries to save his lover [[Elizabeth Arye]] from becoming a vampire. |
||
| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ==Legends timeline== |
||
| + | Castlevania Legends is an alternate universe story to the Castlevania timeline.<ref>IGA: 漆黒たる前奏曲は、ドラキュラの世界観をまったく無視して作られた作品だったため、私がプロデューサになった時に、正しい歴史からはずしました。あくまで同じ世界観をつかった別の世界の物語と考えてくだされば良いかと存じます。 Translation: Because Castlevania Legends was a work that completely ignored Castlevania's look, when I became producer, I removed it from the proper history. I think it would be best to think of it as a story from a different world that used the same look.</ref> |
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| + | ===Sonia Belmont's era=== |
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| − | *'''1479''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Curse of Darkness]]'') Though defeated at the hands of [[Trevor Belmont]], [[Dracula]]'s curse still ravages the countryside of Europe, bringing with it disease, mob violence, and heresy. Amidst this chaos is ''Hector'', a Devil Forgemaster who had formerly worked in the service of Dracula. Yet Hector grew weary and disgusted of the count's brutal methods and left ''Castlevania'' to live with humans, but when his human wife was killed and his fellow forgemaster, ''Isaac'', is implicated in the deed, Hector sets off for Dracula's stronghold to settle the score with him. At the end, it revealed that Isaac made Hector regain his devil forging powers so that Castlevania would return to the human world. But, what Isaac didn't know was that he himself was being used by [[Death]], Dracula's right-hand-man. Death believed that Hector would kill Isaac, and that Dracula's Curse would take control of him, with his body becoming a vessel for Dracula's safe return to Earth. However, Hector realized that his drive for vengeance was caused by Dracula's Curse. Hector did not kill Isaac, but Death killed Isaac anyway and summoned Dracula through Isaac's body. Hector killed his former master, and performed the "Final Forging" where he summoned the essence of the curse and destroyed it. But a mysterious man named Saint Germain, who Hector had met earlier, believes that the war will never end and even when all evil is destroyed, there will still be ones who will claim evil's mantle again. |
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| + | [[File:Leg sonia2.jpg|left|150px|]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania Legends]]'' — 1450 A.D''' |
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| + | During the Middle ages there lived a man who wished to obtain power. In the year 1431, this man made a pact with an evil deity who granted him power to conquer the world. From that moment on, the man became a powerful Demon King known as Dracula. For nineteen years, he terrorized Europe with his army of monsters, conquering one nation after the next. Seventeen year old [[Sonia Belmont]], takes up a magical whip left to her by grandfather and swears to avenge him after he was killed by Dracula's minions. During her search, she meets and forms a strong bond with her enemy's son, Alucard. After vanquishing the Count, Sonia vows that if Dracula returns after her lifetime, others will take her place and defeat him. Afterward, she gave birth to a son fathered by Alucard. This child would later defeat Dracula once more. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ==Pachislot Akumajō Dracula timeline== |
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| + | ===Trevor Belmont's era=== |
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| + | [[File:Ent chara01.png|left|175px]] |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Pachislot Akumajō Dracula III]]'' — 1476 A.D''' |
||
| + | Same as ''Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse''. |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Pachislot Akumajō Dracula|Pachislot Akumajō Dracula I]]'' and ''[[Pachislot Akumajō Dracula II|II]]'' — 1479 A.D'''<ref name=haha>Pachislot Akumajō Dracula Developer's Blog. Retrieved February 28, 2012</ref> |
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| − | *'''14XX''': (The events of the [[Castlevania Pachislot]] game) Dracula's early resurrection is completed and it is up to [[Trevor Belmont]] to take him down again, this time, with a new ally called [[Angela]]. |
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| + | In this timeline, Hector possibly becomes Dracula's vessel instead of Isaac and Trevor has to stop a revived Dracula. He is aided by [[Angela]], but she is captured and falls under Dracula's influence. Trevor manages to defeat Dracula and saves Angela. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | ==Beyond time== |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania Judgment]]'' — Time Rift''' |
||
| + | ''See also [[Judgment Timeline]]''<br /> |
||
| + | [[Galamoth]], the Demon King from an era ten thousand years in the future, wishes to conquer time and sends his servant, the [[Time Reaper]], to assassinate Dracula in order to rule the past. A time traveler and guardian of the timeline, [[Aeon]], gathers powerful warriors from across time in order to prevent a catastrophe. |
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| + | {{clr}} |
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| + | *'''Game: ''[[Castlevania: Harmony of Despair]]'' — Grimoire''' |
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| + | The Grimoire is a magical book that records the history of Dracula's castle. Certain individuals find themselves trapped in the book and borrow the powers of the heroes which are recorded in the book in order to find a way out.<ref>Famitsu Xbox 360 (September 2010). IGA interview.</ref> |
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| + | {{clr}} |
||
| + | ==Gallery== |
||
| + | <gallery position="center" captionalign="center"> |
||
| + | Konamimagazinevolume03-page071.jpg|[[Konami Magazine]] Volume 3, 1997. |
||
| + | Dengeki N64 1999 vol2.jpg|Dengeki Nintendo 64, 1999 vol.2. |
||
| + | Cvtimeline2000.jpg|[[Konami#Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe|KCE Kobe]] homepage, July 31, 2000. |
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| + | Dengeki-scoop2.jpg|Dengeki Playsation Vol.165, December 22, 2000. |
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| + | Encyclopedia of Castlevania.JPG|[[Encyclopedia of Castlevania]] First Part, 2001. |
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| + | Encyclopedia of Castlevania 2.jpg|Encyclopedia of Castlevania Last Part, 2001. |
||
| + | Konamimagazinevolume20-page56-57.jpg|Konami Magazine Volume 20, 2001. |
||
| + | Dengekigames2003Jun-p71.jpg|Dengeki GAMES Vol.???, June 2003. |
||
| + | Hyou.gif|Harmony of Dissonance Japanese website, 2002. |
||
| + | Aos artbook page17a(b).jpg|Castlevania: Akatsuki no Minuet Artbook. First Part, 2003. |
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| + | Aos artbook page17b(b).jpg|Castlevania: Akatsuki no Minuet Artbook. Second part, 2003. |
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| + | Chrono m.gif|Lament of Innocence Japanese website, 2003. |
||
| + | Dengeki PS2 timeline.png|Dengeki PS2 Vol.???, 2003. |
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| + | NTT-LOI-Timeline.jpg|[[NTT Pub Castlevania (PS2) Official Guide|LoI Guide (NTT Pub)]], 2003. |
||
| + | Cvlinehu7.jpg|Dorimaga, 2005. |
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| + | Castlevania Xtreme Desktop.jpg|Castlevania Xtreme Desktop, 2005. |
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| + | Official Japanese Timeline 2007.png|Official Castlevania Timeline, 2007. |
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| + | Castlevania Anniversary Collection Bonus Book Timeline.png|''[[Castlevania Anniversary Collection]]'' bonus eBook timeline, 2019. |
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| + | </gallery> |
||
| − | == |
+ | ==Notes== |
| + | *[[Trevor Belmont]] and [[Christopher Belmont]] were originally intended to be the same character. According to one of the story writers of ''[[Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse]]'', Trevor's middle initial "C" was meant to stand for Christopher. Due to lack of coordination between teams at the time, ''Castlevania III'' and ''[[Castlevania: The Adventure]]'' both depicted the "Legend of the Hero Christopher" referred to in the manual of the original game. [[Koji Igarashi|IGA]] later corrected this contradiction when developing the official timeline by making them two separate characters.<ref>[http://archive.2ch-ranking.net/retro/1250936811.html 2ch]</ref> |
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| − | *'''1576''': (The events of ''[[The Castlevania Adventure]]'') After a century of a deep slumber, the evil Count Dracula rises to wreak havoc once again on the landscape of Europe, but this time, [[Christopher Belmont]], great-grandfather of [[Simon Belmont]], rises to the occasion with the legendary [[Vampire Killer]] and vanquishes the evil Prince of Darkness, destroying his evil minions and restoring peace to the land once again. |
||
| + | *''[[Castlevania: Bloodlines]]'' was originally released as a ''[[wikipedia:Gaiden|gaiden]]'' to the ''[[Castlevania (series)|Castlevania]]'' series.<ref>[http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/2/rob-guidebook.htm Page 33, ''Rondo of Blood'' Strategy guide book]</ref> However, it has always been included in the official timeline. |
||
| + | *''[[Castlevania (Nintendo 64)|Castlevania 64]]'', ''[[Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness]]'' and ''[[Castlevania: Circle of the Moon]]'' were intended from the very start to be ''gaidens'' to the ''Castlevania'' storyline.<ref name = hello /> |
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| + | *The official timeline also incorporates business elements (promotion of the games), and as a result, it's possible that it does not reflect IGA's way of thinking.<ref>IGA: 公式は、もっとビジネス的な部分も含まれるので、この考えが反映されるかどうかはわかりません。 Translation: The official timeline incorporates more business elements, so I don't know if my opinions reflect that thinking or not.</ref> For example, ''[[Castlevania: Dracula X]]'' is included in most English-distributed timelines in place of ''Rondo of Blood'', but is not considered to be part of the main storyline by IGA.<ref name = ah /> |
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| + | ==External links== |
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| − | *'''1591''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge]]'') Though [[Christopher Belmont]] had defeated the evil count [[Dracula]] fifteen years ago, he did not manage to destroy him, as the count turned himself into mist and managed to escape, building up his energy and biding his time over the years. As Christopher's son came of age, a ceremony was being held in [[Warakiya]] to confer the title of ''Vampire Hunter'' upon him, so that a father-son team would be formed, but after the ceremony had been completed, Dracula used his powers to turn [[Solieyu Belmont]] into a demon, and then made four castles appear. Christopher vowed to destroy Dracula and return his son to normal, and in the end, he defeated the evil count, restored his son, and the land was returned to its normal balance once again. |
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| + | *[http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/cv-por/bonusmaterial4.htm Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006 (Castlevania Realm)] |
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| − | |||
| + | *[https://www.konami.com/games/dracula/product/data.html Japanese Timeline. Konami. 2007] |
||
| − | ==17th century== |
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| − | *'''16XX''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Order of Shadows]]'', possibly non-canon) The Belmonts find the hideout of [[The Order]], which has been responsible for the last several reincarnations of Dracula, and attempt to stop them before they can revive the count. [[Desmond Belmont]] defeats the leader of this group, [[Rohan Krause]], which only serves as a catalyst for Dracula's return. He then defeats Dracula, but a mysterious force or powerful being keeps Dracula's Castle from crumbling. |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''1691''': (The events of ''[[Vampire Killer]]'', ''[[Haunted Castle]]'', ''[[Castlevania (video game)|Castlevania]]'', ''[[Castlevania (video game)|Akumajō Dracula X68000]]'', ''[[Castlevania Chronicles]]'', ''[[Super Castlevania IV]]'') After a Black Mass, the evil [[Dracula|Count Dracula]] rose once again to plunge the European landscape into a state of total darkness. The count's legions grew like a plague, infesting the land like a disease everywhere they went. [[Simon Belmont]], great-grandson of [[Christopher Belmont]], rose to the cries of the citizenry, and took up the legendary [[Vampire Killer Whip|Vampire Killer]], setting off for ''Castlevania'', the ancestral home of the evil Prince of Darkness. In the end, Simon had a one-on-one battle with the count, but proved victorious, sending him once again to his dark grave, saving the world from his torment. |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''1698''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest]]'') After [[Simon Belmont]]'s defeat of [[Dracula]], he began to notice the effects of the count's curse were still taking hold of the land. Seven years later, the land was still rotting from the effects of the Dark Lord's black magic. Then, Simon had a vision from a maiden, who told him that unless he were to find the five body parts of the count and burn them in his ancestral home, the curse would remain permanent, plaguing the land, and Simon would die from his wounds. Thus, Simon set out, exploring [[Transylvania]], defeating fiends who possessed these parts, interacting with townspeople who helped him, and in the end, resurrected the count, defeating him one last time, putting him down again and stopping the curse before it consumed him and the land once and for all. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==18th century== |
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| − | *'''1748''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance]]'') In [[1746]], ''[[Maxim Kischine]]'' left on a self-training expedition in order to cope with his own self-doubt after [[Juste Belmont]] was chosen to receive the legendary whip, [[Vampire Killer]]. Two years later, upon his return from training (wounded and scarred), Maxim tells Juste some terrible news- a childhood friend of both theirs, named ''[[Lydie Erlanger]]'', had been kidnapped, and also, Maxim had lost memory of the events of the past two years (or most of the events). Even so, he was able to lead Juste to the site of the disappearance, where they encountered a castle that hadn't been there previously. Juste hurried into the castle as Maxim recuperated in the entry way, promising to join Juste later. Juste discovers that Maxim, in a horrifying attempt to emulate the actions of [[Simon Belmont]] (of 50 years earlier), has collected the body parts of [[Dracula]] in an attempt to resurrect the Dark Lord to prove himself by defeating the wicked count. Yet, the count's spirit ends up possessing Maxim, and knowing this, Juste sets out to collect the remains himself and put an end to this foolishness once and for all. Juste recovers the remains and Lydie, and after defeating Maxim, Dracula escapes and materializes into a physical form. However, Juste managed to defeat the count, and without his presence, the castle crumbles, so the three escape and watch the ruins collapse from a hillside in the distance. |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''1792''': (The events of ''[[Demon Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood]]'' and ''[[Castlevania: Dracula X]]'') Once again, the dark prince is revived prematurely, this time by a fanatical cult. Lead by the dark priest ''Shaft'', the cult sacrifices a woman, and her blood is just the evil touch needed to bring him back to the world of the flesh. [[Dracula]] had learned many things over the centuries, and this time, he decided to put them to use. The current vampire hunter in the land was [[Richter Belmont]], so the count spent some time observing Richter, his girlfriend ''Annette Renard'', her sister [[Maria Renard]], and several other villagers. Then, as he had done in the past, he kidnapped those individuals and swept them away to ''Castlevania'', his ancestral home, after having his minions attack and burn the town. So, Richter was called into action, picking up the [[Vampire Killer Whip|Vampire Killer]] whip to bring justice to the count. Once he had rescued Maria, she used her unique skills to fight the count's forces as well. In the end, the two rescued the villagers and defeated Dracula, though he turned into an ethereal mist when defeated and escaped through a window, vowing to return again. Still, the count's words resounded in Richter's head: "I am not the one who is evil. I am summoned by the evil nature of mankind to wreak havoc and do their bidding." |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''1797''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Symphony of the Night]]'') Four years after [[Richter Belmont]]'s encounter with the dark lord, the dark priest ''Shaft'' brought the count out of hiding and augmented his powers, restoring him to his normal, true self once again. His motives? Shaft wanted true and unmatched power and felt that Dracula was the one force he could receive it from. Yet, one man would stand in his way - Richter. Thus, he placed a powerful curse on Richter, managing to side him with evil, and this shift in the forces of darkness caused [[Alucard]] to awaken from his slumber (that he had placed on himself to rid the world of his cursed bloodline). Alucard went to ''Castlevania'' to seek those that delved in the dark arts. He encountered the grown [[Maria Renard]] several times, defeated Shaft (bringing Richter to his senses), and in the end, defeated the prince of darkness, restoring order to late-18th century Europe... |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''1798''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Nocturne of Recollection]]'' radio drama) One year after [[Alucard]]'s defeat of his father, an incubus named [[Magnus]] causes trouble for [[Alucard]], [[Maria]], and [[Richter]]. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==19th century== |
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| − | |||
| − | * '''1800's''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia]]'') In the 1800s, the Belmonts mysteriously dissapear. In their place, several organizations are formed to try and find ways to prevent Dracula from returning. The most prominent of these is the Order of Ecclesia. Their source of magic comes from magical symbols called Glyphs, which are drawn on the users body. Barlowe, Ecclesia's leader, creates Dominus, the greatest Glyph of all, which should be able to stop Dracula. Shanoa, an Ecclesia member, has been chosen to be the bearer of Dominus, making Albus, another Ecclesia member, jealous because he was supposed to be the bearer of Dominus. As Shanoa is about to absorb the three Dominus pieces, Albus attacks and steals them and Shanoa's memory. Barlowe tells Shanoa that she must get Dominus back and stop Albus before it's too late. After pursuing Albus, he leaves behind a map to the village of Wygol. Shanoa travels there, where she meets Father Nickolai, who tells her that Albus has captured all the other villagers. Shanoa goes and rescues them and confronts Albus at Mystery Manor, where she kills him and gets the last Dominus piece. When she absorbs it, Albus's spirit comes to her and tells her that the reason he stole Dominus was because he loved Shanoa as a sister and didn't want her to suffer this horrible fate and warns her not to use Dominus. When Shanoa returns to Barlowe, she tells him everything. Barlowe reveals his true intentions to revive Dracula. He and Shanoa battle, but he sacrifices himself to summon Castlevania. Shanoa heads to the castle and confronts Dracula. After an intense battle, Dracula says that Shanoa's powers can't stop him, but Shanoa says Dominus can. She uses Dominus and destroys Dracula. Shanoa is about to die, but then Albus comes and sacrifices himself to Dominus and saves Shanoa. She safely escapes the castle as it collapses. |
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| − | |||
| − | * '''1820''': [[Dracula]] is sealed by ''Morris Baldwin'' and the parents of ''Nathan Graves'' (according to the story of ''[[Castlevania: Circle of the Moon]]''). |
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| − | |||
| − | * '''1830''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Circle of the Moon]]'') In an old Austrian castle, the worshippers of Chaos attempt to resurrect the dark lord. Vampire Hunter ''Morris Baldwin'' and his apprentices, ''Nathan Graves'' and ''Hugh Baldwin'', rush to the castle in an attempt to stop the resurrection, only to arrive a moment too late. [[Camilla]], one of Dracula's minions, has just revived the Count and kidnaps Morris; the two apprentices then plummet down into the depths of the castle. Hugh urges Nathan to leave while he finds his father, but Nathan sets out to defeat the minions and then finds that Hugh was taken hostage. In the end, Nathan defeats Camilla, rescues Hugh and Morris, and defeats the dark lord, Dracula. Dracula promises that he will return as long as people hold dark desires in their hearts. Nathan retaliates by saying that as long as people such as he are around, Dracula will always be defeated. |
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| − | |||
| − | NOTE: in Circle of the Moon, Nathan uses a whip called "The Hunter's Whip" It is not the same thing as Vampire Killer, although it seems to have the same properties. |
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| − | |||
| − | * '''1844''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness]]'') Once again, the evil desires of mortals bring the dark lord [[Dracula]] into the plane of the living...This time, Dracula's minions seek to burn down villages in the search for sacrifices to augment his powers- the Count is not yet up to full strength. One of the girls taken is ''[[Ada]]'', the sister of ''Cornell'', a man-beast who is off on ascetic training. Cornell returns to find the town under attack; he rushes off to ''Castlevania'' to fight Dracula and his minions, saving the people from the Dark Lord's curse, but the Count would return a mere eight years later. |
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| − | |||
| − | * '''1852''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania 64]]'') Eight years after ''Cornell'' defeated [[Dracula]], a man of [[Belmont Clan|Belmont]] lineage named [[Reinhardt Schneider]] and a woman named [[Carrie Fernandez]] (descendent of ''[[Sypha Belnades]]'') are called to search for the missing children of the local village(s). All of the signs point towards ''Castlevania'', and additionally, ''Henry'', who was but a young boy in 1844, is now on a mission from the Church to go to the count's dark abode in search of the children. In the end, they save the children and have a showdown with the dark master, defeating him once again. |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''1897''': According to [[Bram Stoker]]'s ''[[Dracula]]'', it was in [[1897]] when the count rose again by unknown means and [[Jonathan Harker]] was invited over to his castle as his guest. In a final showdown, Harker, [[Van Helsing]], and [[Quincy Morris]] stake the count with a knife, killing him, but Morris dies from a gash inflicted on him by gypsies under the count's spell. Not mentioned in the book, however (according to [[Konami]]), is the fact that Quincy Morris actually was the one who killed Dracula with a wooden stake, while [[John Morris]] (Quincy's son who is born in 1895) witnessed the showdown with the count and his father's death (Note: The truth of this last statement is in question as official information states that John would have only been two years old at the time of his father's death). |
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| − | |||
| − | ==20th century== |
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| − | *'''1917''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Bloodlines]]'') Twenty-years (according to the manual of the game) after the death of [[Quincy Morris]], a witch practicing dark magic delves into the dark arts and revives [[Elizabeth Bartley]], the niece of [[Dracula]]. The vampiress, once raised from the underworld, uses her powerful magic to plunge the already war-torn landscape into darkness, and, in turn, revives her uncle Dracula. Not about to allow his father's death to be in vain, [[John Morris]], along with his childhood friend ''Eric Lecarde'', sets out to put an end to the madness. Oddly, the game references the real-life death of the [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria]], suggesting that his death was ordered by the countess Bartley. |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''1944''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin]]'') The world is in chaos. The Second World War has claimed millions of lives, leveled cities, destroyed nations. The souls of the war's dead blanket the planet, lost, hurt, and angry. Their anguish summons an accursed castle of legend. It had appeared many times throughout history, bringing with it evil and darkness. The castle of Dracula, the Lord of Evil. It arrives in man's darkest hour, to push us over the brink, into ruin. [[Jonathan Morris]], weapons expert, and [[Charlotte Aulin]], magic expert, must enter the castle and face a new foe, [[Brauner|Count Brauner]]. They discover that Brauner trapped Dracula in the Throne Room to prevent him from taking back his castle. When he is defeated, the Count is free and our heroes must face him and Death in a two-against-two battle. |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''1999''': (The [[Demon Castle War]]) It was foretold that this would be the year when the war between Dracula and the Belmonts would come to an end. Dracula was resurrected, but [[Julius Belmont]], possibly [[Alucard|Adrian Tepes]] and most likely a relative of [[Yoko Belnades]] managed to defeat him. Apparently, a family member of [[Mina Hakuba]] was also involved. The ending of [[Castlevania Judgment]] implies that [[Aeon]] or someone in his service was also involved, but this is speculation. Castlevania along with the soul of it's master was sealed in an eclipse that occurred at the time of his death. After the battle, Julius lost his memory. The ending of ''[[Castlevania: Curse of Darkness]]'' makes it seems to reference it as well. See also; [http://www.gamesradar.com/psp/f/castlevania-the-mega-interview/a-20070312121437520086/g-2007020210261331098/p-5 Gamesradar interview]. |
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| − | |||
| − | Those who were born on the same time as Dracula's death would be born with special powers and become "[[Dark Lord Candidates]]". |
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| − | |||
| − | ==21st century== |
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| − | *'''2035''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow]]'') Thirty-six years after [[Dracula]] was sealed in an eclipse, high-school exchange student [[Soma Cruz]] and his friend [[Mina Hakuba]] visit the ''Hakuba Shrine'' and are sucked into a warp leading to the infamous ''Castlevania''. There he encounters [[Graham Jones]], a cult leader who wishes to assume the powers of the soul of [[Dracula]] for his own. He also meets up with [[Genya Arikado]] ([[Alucard]]), who defeats a group of demons and explains to him his ability to absorb monster souls. Soma must stop Graham, but realizes that he, in fact, is the reincarnation of the now completely destroyed Dracula, and this is why he has assumed all these powers. He manages to stop Graham's plans, but he does confront [[Julius Belmont]], though the two in the end do not kill each other. Ultimately, Soma destroys the Chaos present within the castle and gets the soul of Dracula under control without letting Dracula become dominant within him, and he and everyone else escape the castle. |
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| − | |||
| − | *'''2036''': (The events of ''[[Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow]]'') A year after [[Soma Cruz]] was awakened to his powers and realized that he was the reincarnation of Dracula, a cult that sought the power of the count returned, this time building their own castle strikingly similar to the count's former ancestral home of ''Castlevania''. The cult members were Celia Fortner, the leader, Dario Bossi, who held power over fire, and Dmitrii Blinov, who held the power to copy any ability and counter-use it. Celia's belief was that for the ultimate good to exist in the world, the ultimate evil must also exist. Dario and Dmitrii were known as the two "Dark Lord" candidates, who both had the possibility of becoming the Dark Lord himself. Through the cult's evil actions, they managed to once again draw Soma to them for yet another battle. In the end, Soma defeated both candidates and destroyed a monster called Menace before it could be released into the world. The castle crumbling, everyone safely escaped to live another day. |
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| − | ==10,000 AD== |
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| − | *The era of Galamoth and the Time Reaper. |
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==References== |
==References== |
||
| + | <references /> |
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| − | *[http://www.classicgaming.com/castlevania/ The Castlevania Dungeon] |
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| − | *[http://www.gamefaqs.com GameFAQs] |
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| − | *[http://konami.jp/gs/game/CV01/chronology.html Revised Japanese Timeline (2002)] |
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| − | *[http://uk.geocities.com/nec43xkq3/cvsl.html Revised Japanese Timeline (2005)] |
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| − | *[http://www.konami.com/gs/officialsites/castlevania/xtreme_popup/index.html Castlevania Xtreme Desktop (2005)] |
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| − | + | [[de:Castlevania Timeline]] |
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| + | [[es:Cronología de Castlevania]] |
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[[Category:Timelines]] |
[[Category:Timelines]] |
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Revision as of 08:23, 4 March 2020
- For the Lords of Shadow timeline, see Lords of Shadow Timeline.
The Castlevania Timeline shows the official chronology of the Castlevania series. It was first revealed in Konami Magazine in 1997. The timeline was intended to be a reference for the developers of Symphony of the Night, but was accidentally leaked.[1]
At that time, the upcoming Castlevania Legends was intended to be the origin story of the series, however, the game was removed from the timeline during development and this was made clear in the next issue of the magazine. The spin-off game Akumajō Special: Boku Dracula-kun (localized as Kid Dracula) was also included. Likewise, the game was removed from later editions of the timeline. The Konami Akumajō Dracula X Chronicle Official Guide later went on to state there was no story connection with the rest of the series.
Not all Castlevania games are intended to be part of the original timeline. Several games and other media deliberately take place outside of it. They can be classified as a story set in a completely different universe. Castlevania Legends and Lords of Shadow are part of this category. The stories of these games have nothing to do with that of the main timeline and take place in completely different worlds. They often feature alternate incarnations of certain characters, but with different back stories.
The timeline was defined and established by Koji Igarashi during his game development of the series up until he left Konami. Konami reserves the right to use, replace, or change this timeline at any time in the future games.
Main timeline
Leon Belmont's era
- Game: Castlevania: Lament of Innocence — 1094 A.D
The 11th century was a time of knighthood, when the medieval monarchs were waning due to feuding lords and knights. Two of the courageous knights fighting during this period were Leon Belmont and Mathias Cronqvist, who together with Leon's exceptional combat experience and Mathias' skills as a tactician led one of the strongest companies in the realm. Walter Bernhard was a powerful vampire who lived in a castle within a forest covered in eternal darkness. One day, Leon's fiancée, Sara, is kidnapped by this very vampire. Leon renounces his loyalty to the Church in order to save her. In the end, in order to avenge his fiancée's death, he manages to defeat Walter with the Vampire Killer Whip, created from Sara's soul. However, everything was just a plot by Leon's close friend Mathias, who had turned into a vampire in order to defy God, who allowed his wife to die of an illness.[2]
12th-14th centuries
With Leon now walking the path of a Vampire Hunter in pursuit of Mathias, the Belmonts' eternal struggle against evil begins. From generation to generation, the Vampire Killer and the title of Vampire Hunter is passed down. Feared for their powers, they are shunned by society at large and lived in exile. What they also did not realize was that each foe slain only added to the power of Mathias. Meanwhile, Mathias leads a peaceful existence during this time[3] but, growing more powerful over the years, he eventually declares himself King of the Night and changes his name to Dracula Vlad Ţepeş. He continued to hide in foreign lands, biding his time for when he would unleash his dreadful power upon the world.[4]
Trevor Belmont's era
- Game: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse — 1476 A.D
The genocide of humanity begins at the hand of Count Dracula. Alerted to Dracula's existence, a secret team is sent in by the Eastern Orthodox Church to find and eliminate him. All attempts to suppress Dracula end in failure, so faced with no other options, the Church turns to the Belmont family of vampire hunters in hopes they could destroy Dracula. Trevor Belmont begins his journey into the castle and frees the freedom fighter Grant Danasty, the mage Sypha Belnades, and encounters the son of Dracula, Alucard. Joining forces, they succeed in vanquishing Dracula. Sypha then takes Trevor's hand in marriage, while Alucard, pained from killing his own father, submerges into an eternal slumber.[5] Grant spends the rest of his life rebuilding Wallachia.[6]
- Game: Castlevania: Curse of Darkness — 1479 A.D
Though defeated at the hands of Trevor Belmont, Dracula's curse still ravages the countryside of Europe, bringing with it disease, mob violence and heresy. Amidst this chaos is Hector, a Devil Forgemaster who had formerly worked in the service of Dracula. Yet Hector grew weary and disgusted with the Count's brutal methods and left to live with humans. When his human wife was killed and his fellow forgemaster, Isaac, is implicated in the deed, Hector sets off for Dracula's stronghold to settle the score with him. At the end, it is revealed that Isaac made Hector regain his devil forging powers so that Dracula's Castle would return to the human world. Unbeknownst to Isaac, he himself was being used by Death, Dracula's right-hand-man, as a vessel for his master's reincarnation. Death believed that Hector would kill Isaac and that Dracula's Curse would take control of him, with his body becoming a vessel for Dracula's safe return to Earth. However, Hector realized that his drive for vengeance was caused by Dracula's Curse and resolved that he would no longer be manipulated. Hector did not kill Isaac, which prompted Death to use Isaac's body as an alternative. Hector killed his former master and performed the "Final Forging" where he summoned the essence of the curse and destroyed it. But the mysterious Saint Germain, whom Hector had met earlier, believed that the war will never end and even when all evil is destroyed, there will still be those who will claim evil's mantle again.
Christopher Belmont's era
- Game: Castlevania: The Adventure — 1576 A.D
Count Dracula, slain 100 years before, is reborn. It's rumored the Bartley family was responsible for this act. It's from this point on that the legend begins: "Once every 100 years, when the faith in God is forgotten, Dracula will come back to life". Christopher, descendant of Trevor, apparently succeeds in vanquishing Dracula.[7]
- Game: Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge — 1591 A.D
Though Christopher Belmont had defeated the evil count Dracula fifteen years ago, he did not manage to destroy him, as the count turned himself into mist and managed to escape, building up his energy and biding his time over the years. As Christopher's son came of age, a ceremony was being held to confer the title of Vampire Hunter upon him, so that a father-son team would be formed, but after the ceremony had been completed, Dracula used his powers to take control of Soleil Belmont's mind and then made four castles appear. Christopher vowed to destroy Dracula and return his son to normal, and in the end, he defeated the evil Count, restored his son and the land was returned to its normal balance once again.
Simon Belmont's era
- Game: Castlevania[8] — 1691 A.D
Count Dracula is fully revived by the forces of evil for the second time. Simon Belmont defeats Dracula once more, but in the wake of Dracula's death, is struck with a curse.[9]
- Game: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest — 1698 A.D
The curse inflicted upon Simon seven years earlier continues to affect his body, which slowly starts to decay. A mysterious woman appears to Simon while visiting his family's graveyard and is told that Dracula will be revived when the curse kills him. The only way to lift the curse is for Simon to gather the scattered body parts of Dracula and burn them where his castle once stood. Simon successfully gathers and burns all of the five pieces. However, Dracula manifests as a ghost from a sixth piece (his fang[10]). Simon fights valiantly and prevents Dracula's resurrection from taking place.[11]
Juste Belmont's era
- Game: Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance — 1748 A.D
Fifty years after Simon's battle, Juste Belmont, grandson of Simon, continues the family's vampire hunting tradition and upholds the duty of searching for Dracula's relics. However, his childhood friend, Lydie, is kidnapped and brought to a mysterious castle, which had suddenly risen up out of the mist. Juste's best friend, Maxim, joins him in the search for Lydie inside the castle. However, it turns out that Maxim was possessed by an evil spirit born out of Dracula's remains, which were brought together by him. The castle that had appeared was spawned from Maxim's mind. The evil spirit wished to sacrifice Lydie in order to revive the true castle of Dracula. Combining the strength of the three friends, the evil spirit is defeated, his hold on Maxim disappears and the castle vanishes back into the mist.[12]
Richter Belmont's era
- Game: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood — 1792 A.D
Called back to life by the Dark Priest Shaft, Dracula is awakened again. Richter Belmont, descendant of Simon and Juste, sets out to find and kill Dracula and save the women kidnapped from his town, including his fiancée Annette. Aided by Maria Renard, a girl with mysterious powers, Richter prevails over Dracula. However, Richter was left defenseless from his battle with Dracula and Shaft's curse enters his body.[13]
- Game: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night — 1797 A.D
Shaft would continue to exist as a spirit contained within a crystal ball. However, in the five years since the previous battle, Shaft manages to regain power through the curse placed on Richter. After four years, Shaft succeeds in gaining full control over Richter. He plans to revive Dracula with the aid of Richter's powers. Maria sets out to find the missing Richter only to stumble on Dracula's castle which had risen out of the mist. Sensing the rise of evil, Alucard awakes from a 300 year slumber. Thanks to Alucard, Richter is freed from Shaft's influence. Unable to influence Richter further but with enough power to act on his own, Shaft summons Dracula's true castle as an inverted floating version in the sky above the current castle. Shaft lets Alucard collect the pieces of Dracula's body and then uses his own spirit as fuel to summon Dracula himself with them. Alucard battles his father and eventually defeats him as he is using an imperfect form. Maria, Richter and Alucard meet outside as the castle crumbles. Alucard leaves to return to his sleep and Maria decides to leave with him, as she has fallen in love with him. Sometime later, Richter vanishes from history.[14]
- Radio Drama: Akumajō Dracula X: Tsuioku no Yasōkyoku — 1798 A.D
The Incubus Magnus plots to make Alucard take his father's place as the Dark Lord. With the combined strength of five vampire hunters, this plan is foiled.
Era of the Belmont clan's absence
In the 1800s, the Belmonts mysteriously disappear. In their place, several organizations are formed to try and find ways to prevent Dracula from returning. The most prominent of these is the Order of Ecclesia.
- Game: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia — 18?? A.D
Shanoa, an Ecclesia member, has been chosen to be the bearer of Dominus, a Glyph that was developed to be used as a weapon against Dracula. Fellow member Albus steals the three pieces that make up Dominus out of jealousy. Shanoa pursues Albus and manages to retrieve the pieces. When she returns to Ecclesia's leader, Barlowe, it's revealed he wishes to revive Dracula with the help of Dominus. He and Shanoa battle, but Dracula's spirit leaks from Dracula's remains, which were stored in Ecclesia's headquarters, and takes control of Barlowe, resulting in Dracula being reborn in a host body. Shanoa heads to Dracula's newly risen castle and confronts him, managing to defeat him in the end.
Quincy Morris' era
Sometime after Alucard's awakening and Dracula's subsequent defeat, Richter, ashamed of being manipulated by Shaft, passes on the Vampire Killer whip kept for so long by the Belmont Clan to the Morris Clan.[15][16]
- Game: none — 1897 A.D
Quincy Morris, a distant descendant of Trevor Belmont, keeps Dracula at bay.[17]
John Morris' era
- Game: Castlevania: Bloodlines — 1917 A.D
The legendary vampire Elizabeth Bartley, Dracula's niece, suddenly appears in the 20th century. Plotting a sacrificial war in order to bring back her uncle back to life, she orchestrates the beginning of World War I. Quincy Morris' son, John, and his best friend Eric Lecarde, vow to take up the fight against evil. Together they manage to prevent Dracula's full resurrection.[18]
Jonathan Morris' era
- Game: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin — 1944 A.D
The world is in chaos due to the second world war. The souls of the dead roam the earth. Their anguish summons Dracula's legendary castle. Jonathan Morris, son of John, and his ally Charlotte Aulin, step forward to fight evil. They discover a vampire named Brauner, who has claimed the castle as his own. They fight him in order to destroy the castle, but by defeating Brauner, Dracula is freed from the seal that kept him locked away. The Count is defeated once more. [19]
Julius Belmont's era
- Game: none — 1999 A.D
On August 11th, a total solar eclipse appears over Eastern Europe. According to a prediction of Nostradamus, Dracula would be revived on this day. The Belmont Clan (which had re-emerged in this era), the Belnades Clan and Alucard all confirm it's indeed the coming revival of the Dark Lord. Awaiting his return, they find the magic in Japan which can even control gods with the power of a solar eclipse. It's Julius, the current heir of the Belmont Clan, who takes up the Vampire Killer to face Dracula. With the secret art of the Hakuba Clan, Dracula's castle is trapped and confined within the darkness of the eclipse. With his source of power and means of resurrection sealed away, Dracula is slain permanently, forcing the dark lord to find a host body to contain himself in.[20]
Era of Dracula's rebirth
- Game: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow — 2035 A.D
It's prophesied that the supposedly perished Dracula would return again. In Japan, in the year 2035 on the night of a solar eclipse, high school students Soma Cruz and Mina Hakuba are transported to Dracula's castle when entering the Hakuba Shrine. When Soma awakes, he finds himself within the confines of the castle. In order to escape the castle, he teams up with Genya Arikado, Yoko Belnades and the amnesic "J" to defeat Graham Jones, who believes he is the new Dracula. When he finally arrives at the throne room, he learns he himself is Dracula reborn after he defeats Graham. To free himself from the chaotic power of Dracula, he has to travel to the chaos realm on the other "side" of Dracula's castle. After managing to liberate himself from Dracula's power and destroying the source of chaos, he escapes the castle together with his friends.[21]
- Game: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow — 2036 A.D
It has been one year since the uproar about Dracula in the eclipse. Soma Cruz is at peace. But a cult leader, Celia Fortner, attacked Soma in broad daylight and tells him to follow her back to Dracula's castle. In order to avoid involving Mina, Soma enters the castle alone. Yoko Belnades, Julius Belmont and Genya Arikado also arrive with the intention of stopping the cult. With Soma's arrival in the castle, Celia begins her plan for the advent of the new Dark Lord. She tries to instigate the revival of Dracula by having Soma embrace his darkness or, if that would fail, having another heir of Dracula's power kill him. Celia fails to get Soma to turn, but is killed later by another candidate, Dmitrii Blinov, who copied Soma's power of Dominance. Yoko, Julius and Arikado help Soma track him down but they are too late. Trying to acquire souls like Soma, he loses control and transforms into a giant monster called Menace, who is comprised of all the souls he collected. After its defeat, Soma returns home.[22]
- Novel: Akumajō Dracula: Kabuchi no Tsuisoukyoku — 2037 A.D
Julius Belmont's pupil Curtis Lang, together with his ally Michelle Danasty, battles against the rogue vampire Olrox, who wishes to conquer the forces of both humanity and chaos.
Alternate continuity
The following is confirmed to take place in a string of alternate timelines that are closely related to the primary continuity, either being similar to the main sequence of events or somehow spinning off from the series' formal timeline. As gaiden titles, they are not necessarily connected to each other, but they are considered part of the same overall universe as the main timeline.
Sid Belmont, descendant of Trevor, along with his allies Row Danasty, Zouk Belnades and Leila travel to Dracula's castle in order to prevent his resurrection.
- Game: Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth — 1576 A.D[23]
100 years have passed since the death of Count Dracula, but the revival of his curse has emerged once again within the realms of Transylvania. Christopher Belmont heads out to save the land.
- Comic: Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy — 1576 A.D
Christopher Belmont's fiancée, Illyana has been kidnapped by Dracula after his revival by the Bartley Family. Taking the whip kept safe by a family of vampire hunters called the Totoyan's, Christopher sets out to rescue Illyana.
- Game: Haunted Castle / Super Castlevania IV — 1691 A.D
It is the classic tale of Simon Belmont versus the reawakened Count Dracula, but these alternate versions of his adventure have very different features compared to the one in the main timeline. For example, one version has Dracula kidnap his bride Selena, and the other has a much longer trek toward Dracula's castle. These splintered timelines have the same overall result, however.
- Game: Castlevania: Order of Shadows — 16?? A.D[24]
The Belmonts find the hideout of The Order and attempt to stop them before they can revive the Count. Desmond Belmont defeats the leader of this group, Rohan Krause, which only serves as a catalyst for Dracula's return. He then defeats Dracula, but a mysterious force or powerful being keeps Dracula's Castle from crumbling.
- Game: Castlevania: Dracula X — 1792 A.D[25]
Dracula is revived by his followers and it is Richter's destiny to stop him. At the same time, he is forced to save his fiancée Anette and Maria. Maria's powers do not awaken in this timeline and Richter overcomes Dracula on his own.
- Game: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon — 1830 A.D[24]
In an old Austrian castle, the worshipers of Dracula attempt to resurrect their master. Vampire Hunter Morris Baldwin and his apprentices, Nathan Graves and Hugh Baldwin, rush to the castle in an attempt to stop the resurrection, only to arrive a moment too late. Camilla, one of Dracula's minions, has just revived the Count and kidnaps Morris; the two apprentices then plummet down into the depths of the castle. In the end, Nathan defeats Camilla, rescues Hugh and Morris, and defeats the dark lord, Dracula.
- Game: Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness — 1844 A.D[24]
Following Dracula's revival, a village is attacked by evil forces, and Ada, the sister of the man-beast Cornell, is taken. Cornell returns to find the town under attack. After finding out about his sister's capture, he rushes to Dracula's castle to find Ada. Ada was to be sacrificed, but Cornell saved her by defeating Dracula, sacrificing his wolf powers in the process. Also includes another interpretation of the events of Castlevania 64.
- Game: Castlevania (N64) — 1852 A.D[24]
Dracula is reborn in the body of the child Malus. However, the memories of who he really was were lost. Dracula's forces, unaware which child was their master reborn, kidnapped all of the children from the surrounding villages and brought them to Dracula's revived castle. Sensing Dracula's return, Belmont descendant Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez decided to hunt Dracula. They rescued Malus and believed they defeated Dracula. However, it turned out this Dracula was an impostor and the memories of Malus were restored. He then reveals himself to be the true Dracula. However, he was subdued through the combined efforts of Reinhardt and Carrie.
- Gamebook: The Devil Castle Dracula: The Battle of Old Castle — 195? A.D
Simon Belmont, descendant of the legendary Simon who defeated Dracula in the past, accidentally breaks the seal that kept Count Dracula locked away, while shooting a movie about his ancestor's exploits in Dracula's castle.
- Game: Akumajō Dracula: The Arcade — The game story have not set a time[24]
A Vampire Hunter, a Lady Gunner and a Little Witch join forces to fight the forces of evil. They manage to overcome Dracula in a climatic battle.
Kid Dracula timeline
The Kid Dracula games take place in the "Demon World".
- Game: Boku Dracula-kun — 11797 A.D [26]
- Kid Dracula awakens after a ten thousand year nap to be challenged by Garamoth. He sets forth to put an end to Garamoth's ambitions and keep the takeover of the world for himself.
- Game: Kid Dracula (Game Boy)
- Garamoth returns after being defeated. Kid Dracula has forgotten most of his skills since then, but Death allows him to borrow some of his father's items to defeat Galamoth once again.
Akuma no Chi Chi no Akumu timeline
The novel Akumajo Dracula: Akuma no Chi Chi no Akumu (translated as "Demon Castle Dracula: Blood of the Demon - Nightmare of Blood") takes place in its own universe. In this world, the Belmonts are not related by blood. Each generation, a "guardian" is born that is destined to take the name of Belmont. Dracula's real name is Claude Runkle in this world.[27]
Dracula is revived by Pierre Baiyan. Simon, Dracula's best friend when he was still human, returns as a Kresnik in order to vanquish him for a second time. Meanwhile, the missionary Dean Silva, tries to save his lover Elizabeth Arye from becoming a vampire.
Legends timeline
Castlevania Legends is an alternate universe story to the Castlevania timeline.[28]
Sonia Belmont's era
- Game: Castlevania Legends — 1450 A.D
During the Middle ages there lived a man who wished to obtain power. In the year 1431, this man made a pact with an evil deity who granted him power to conquer the world. From that moment on, the man became a powerful Demon King known as Dracula. For nineteen years, he terrorized Europe with his army of monsters, conquering one nation after the next. Seventeen year old Sonia Belmont, takes up a magical whip left to her by grandfather and swears to avenge him after he was killed by Dracula's minions. During her search, she meets and forms a strong bond with her enemy's son, Alucard. After vanquishing the Count, Sonia vows that if Dracula returns after her lifetime, others will take her place and defeat him. Afterward, she gave birth to a son fathered by Alucard. This child would later defeat Dracula once more.
Pachislot Akumajō Dracula timeline
Trevor Belmont's era
- Game: Pachislot Akumajō Dracula III — 1476 A.D
Same as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.
- Game: Pachislot Akumajō Dracula I and II — 1479 A.D[29]
In this timeline, Hector possibly becomes Dracula's vessel instead of Isaac and Trevor has to stop a revived Dracula. He is aided by Angela, but she is captured and falls under Dracula's influence. Trevor manages to defeat Dracula and saves Angela.
Beyond time
- Game: Castlevania Judgment — Time Rift
See also Judgment Timeline
Galamoth, the Demon King from an era ten thousand years in the future, wishes to conquer time and sends his servant, the Time Reaper, to assassinate Dracula in order to rule the past. A time traveler and guardian of the timeline, Aeon, gathers powerful warriors from across time in order to prevent a catastrophe.
- Game: Castlevania: Harmony of Despair — Grimoire
The Grimoire is a magical book that records the history of Dracula's castle. Certain individuals find themselves trapped in the book and borrow the powers of the heroes which are recorded in the book in order to find a way out.[30]
Gallery
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Notes
- Trevor Belmont and Christopher Belmont were originally intended to be the same character. According to one of the story writers of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Trevor's middle initial "C" was meant to stand for Christopher. Due to lack of coordination between teams at the time, Castlevania III and Castlevania: The Adventure both depicted the "Legend of the Hero Christopher" referred to in the manual of the original game. IGA later corrected this contradiction when developing the official timeline by making them two separate characters.[31]
- Castlevania: Bloodlines was originally released as a gaiden to the Castlevania series.[32] However, it has always been included in the official timeline.
- Castlevania 64, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon were intended from the very start to be gaidens to the Castlevania storyline.[24]
- The official timeline also incorporates business elements (promotion of the games), and as a result, it's possible that it does not reflect IGA's way of thinking.[33] For example, Castlevania: Dracula X is included in most English-distributed timelines in place of Rondo of Blood, but is not considered to be part of the main storyline by IGA.[25]
External links
- Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006 (Castlevania Realm)
- Japanese Timeline. Konami. 2007
References
- ↑ IGA: 確かに、現在の公式のタイムラインの基を作成したのは我々ですが、当初これを発表をするつもりは全くありませんでした。 というのも、ドラキュラシリーズを長く続けるための足かせにしかならないと考えていたからです。それが、別のプロジェクトから、意図せず露見する形となり、公式と進化したものです。Translation: While it is true that it was we who created the basis for the official timeline, at the start of things we had absolutely no intention of publicizing it. Indeed, this was because we felt it would only shackle us to dragging on the Castlevania series. It was unintentionally leaked from another project and evolved into an official timeline.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1094: Castlevania Lament of Innocence.
- ↑ TGS2005 Koji Igarashi interview.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. More than 300 long years... .
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1476: Castlevania Dracula's Curse.
- ↑ Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse Grant ending.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1576: Castlevania The Adventure.
- ↑ IGA: FC版とX６８０００版ですが、X６８０００版はFC版をベースにアレンジを加えたものになっています。ゲームのアレンジは、その時に応じて、色々と施されるものですので、正直どちらも正統であると思ってよいのではないかと思っています。結論として、ドラキュラと戦い勝つというシナリオで、中間部分の切り抜きが違うと考えてもよいのではないかと考えています。スーパーファミコン版も違いますし…。どうしてもと考えるのであれば、FC版を尊重すべきかと考えます。 Translation: Regarding the Famicom version and the X68000 version, the X68000 version is an arrangement based on the Famicom version. The arrangement of a game is the kind of thing where you add a lot of different things as needed, so honestly speaking, it think they both should be considered legitimate. In conclusion, I think they should be considered as the same scenario of fighting to defeat Dracula, just with a different middle part. The Super Famicom version is different as well... If you simply must have a clear answer, the Famicom version must be given deference.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1691: Castlevania.
- ↑ Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin Kanzen Hisshōbon
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1698: Castlevania II Simon's Quest.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1748: Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1792: Castlevania Dracula X.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1797: Castlevania Symphony of the Night.
- ↑ The World of Castlevania, KCE Kobe homepage. Developer Interview.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1897.
- ↑ Castlevania (Lament of Innocence) Guide. History of Castlevania. Family Tree. Konami & NTT PUB. 2003
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1917: Castlevania Bloodlines.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1944: Castlevania Portrait of Ruin.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1999.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 2036: Castlevania Aria of Sorrow.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 2037: Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow.
- ↑ IGA: ドラキュラ伝説Rebirthは、リメイクというより完全に別作品となっておりますので、Rebirthを外伝としてとらえてよいかと存じます。Translation: Because Castlevania: the Adventure Rebirth is more a completely new game than a remake, I think it is best to treat is as a separate continuity.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 IGA: 黙示録、黙示録外伝、Circle of the Moon、Order of Shadows、THE ARCADEは、世界観を同じくした別の世界の物語となります。黙示録、黙示録外伝、Circle of the Moonは、製作者の意図として、そのように扱っております。 Translation: Regarding Castlevania 64, Legacy of Darkness, Circle of the Moon, Order of Shadows and the Arcade, they are stories from a separate world with the same world view. Castlevania 64, Legacy of Darkness and Circle of the Moon are treated in the same way as the makers intended.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 IGA: 悪魔城ドラキュラX -血の輪廻- と悪魔城ドラキュラXXですが、XXは血の輪廻の移植として制作されたわけですが、血の輪廻のスタッフの意思をまったく反映しておりません。 私としては、先に作った人の意思を優先しますので、XXが外伝扱いと考えております。 Translation: Regarding Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and Castlevania: Dracula X, though Dracula X was created as a port of Rondo of Blood, it does not reflect the intentions of the Rondo of Blood staff at all. For myself, I give priority to the intent of the original creators and treat Dracula X as a separate continuity.
- ↑ Konami Magazine volume 3, Page 71
- ↑ Author: "I wanted to write a vampire novel. However, the magazine editor demanded novelizing the video game. I borrowed 'Dracula' and 'Simon' from Akumajou Dracula. Still, the story is almost all my original creation. Sorry. This novel is not a novelization of the video game."
- ↑ IGA: 漆黒たる前奏曲は、ドラキュラの世界観をまったく無視して作られた作品だったため、私がプロデューサになった時に、正しい歴史からはずしました。あくまで同じ世界観をつかった別の世界の物語と考えてくだされば良いかと存じます。 Translation: Because Castlevania Legends was a work that completely ignored Castlevania's look, when I became producer, I removed it from the proper history. I think it would be best to think of it as a story from a different world that used the same look.
- ↑ Pachislot Akumajō Dracula Developer's Blog. Retrieved February 28, 2012
- ↑ Famitsu Xbox 360 (September 2010). IGA interview.
- ↑ 2ch
- ↑ Page 33, Rondo of Blood Strategy guide book
- ↑ IGA: 公式は、もっとビジネス的な部分も含まれるので、この考えが反映されるかどうかはわかりません。 Translation: The official timeline incorporates more business elements, so I don't know if my opinions reflect that thinking or not.